Newark Bears unveil plan to revive struggling ball club

Thursday April 02, 2009, 2:28 PM

Colin Powell, the retired four-star Army general and U.S. secretary of state, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch come opening day at the Newark Bears minor-league stadium. Patti LaBelle, the Grammy-winning singer, is to belt out the national anthem that same night.

The Newark Bears, plucked out of bankruptcy court just a few months ago with $100,000 down and the assumption of some $1 million in debt, today rolled out an event-packed game plan intended to turn the franchise into a heavy-hitter.

Attention was given to every detail at the ceremonial kickoff at the Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium, right down to the announcer with the oh-so-familiar voice, the acclaimed sportscaster Spencer Ross.

"I'm proud to be part of the re-birth of baseball in this city," said Spencer, who has called play-by-play action for such franchises as the New York Yankees and the Nets and Knicks of the NBA.

Starting with the May 1 opener, Ross said, he'll be inviting fans to the dugout to chat with players and do post-game interviews on the field. "It's not the Yankees. It's not the Knicks," Ross said. "But I don't consider this to be a minor-league effort."

Today, under a bright sun, Ross introduced the new owners, The Bases Loaded Group, and such baseball legends as Hall of Famer Ozzie "The Wizard" Smith, whose 22-year-old son, Dustin Smith, will be playing with the Bears.

Never absent was the team's new "Newark, I'm In!" chant, part of a multi-pronged community tie-in via the Newark Bears Foundation, which will funnel money to such causes as The Jorge Posada Foundation, founded by Yankee star Jorge Posada after his son was diagnosed with the congenital birth defect that causes an abnormally shaped skull.

"Today, we're going to ask everyone in the community to say, "I'm In!" said Jim Wankmiller, who is CEO and president of Bases Loaded. "Come out to the ballpark and support the team."

The event-packed lineup for the 71 home-game season is designed to do what the previous owners could not: get enough fans though the gates of the modern 6,200-seat stadium.

Colin Powell

For the May 1 season opener against the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League, Powell and Labelle will kick off "Community Day," with 1,500 complimentary tickets distributed to community organizations.

Some of the proceeds from that opener are going to America's Promise Alliance, a children's advocacy group Powell founded.

The next day is "A Salute To Military," which is to feature a "celebrity performance of the national anthem," a first pitch ceremony with Medal of Honor winner Col. Jack Jacobs and nine wounded veterans back from service in Iraq and Afghanistan, and fireworks.

Some 5,000 free tickets are being distributed to military personnel and their families for that event. Some of the proceeds from that game will go to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

Today, Jorge Pasado's wife, Laura, came to the stadium to talk up the team, as did representatives of Covenant House in Newark, whose young wards will get mentorships and job opportunities, and a large contingent of schoolchildren from the Robert Treat Academy in Newark's North Ward.

"I think Newark should see more of the Bears," said Nathan Hawley, a 14-year-old first-baseman on the charter school's league who was now sporting a "Newark I'm In!" T-shirt.

The opening weekend is to be capped off May 3 with the first of the season's Legends Sunday, which each week will pay tribute to legendary ball players starting with All-Star Tino Martinez, who helped lead the Yankees to four World Series victories. That day, Martinez will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Subsequent game days will have such themes as "Songfest Sunday," when fans will get to vote on competing choirs in an American Idol-style showdown.

With the arrival of the Bears, the city of Newark, home of the new 18,000-seat Prudential Center better known as "the Rock," is getting another as the Bears' field manager: Tim "Rock" Raines.

The National League All-Star stole 808 bases in his major-league career and wore Yankee pinstripes during the New York team's World Series wins in 1996 and 1998.

His 29-year-old son, "Little Rock" Tim Raines Jr., was just released after training with the Chicago White Sox and will be joining the Bears for the kick-off of training on April 13.

"I've got a lot of father-sons," Raines said.

Besides the Smiths and the Raines, the still-in-the-works roster includes Sean Gamble, son of Yankee Oscar Gamble; Anthony Manuel, son of New York Mets manager Jerry Manuel; Daryle Ward, son of the one-time Minnesota Twins outfielder and American League Rookie of the Year Gary Ward; and a possible recruit, Pete Rose Jr., son of the award-winning Cincinnati Reds ballplayer.

The elder Smith, the St. Louis Cardinal who became a Hall of Famer, said his son will gain from working with Bears who have major-league experience with such franchises as the Oakland Athletics and the Florida Marlins.

"It's about enjoying the experience," he said of his son.

Dustin Smith, meanwhile, was looking forward to playing infield positions, such as shortstop and second base.